Dawson to Oversee 'Workday Student'; Gunderman Named Interim Registrar

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(L to R) Dave Dawson and Gary Gunderman

Dave Dawson, who has served as the U of A registrar and associate vice provost for Enrollment Services for nearly 11 years, will step out of his long-time role to become the campus director of Workday Student, the U of A’s new systemwide student information system.

With this change in responsibilities, Gary Gunderman will step in as interim registrar prior to a search for a permanent replacement.

Dawson will continue to serve Enrollment Services as the senior associate vice provost and will continue to report to Suzanne McCray, vice provost for Enrollment Services. He will also work collaboratively and extensively with Terry Martin, senior vice provost for Academic Affairs, and Steve Krogull, associate vice chancellor for university information, throughout the implementation process. 

“I am very pleased that Workday Student will have such experienced and capable leadership in Dave Dawson and in Gary Gunderman,”  McCray said. “The combined institutional memory is extensive, and both have been involved in various implementations. They are forward-looking administrators and have been innovative in their approach. They will both work effectively with the colleges, with University IT Services, and with the many subject experts and functional leads who will be called on to make this implementation successful. We can move forward with confidence.”

Dawson will be responsible for managing the implementation of the new cloud-based student information system, Workday Student, for the U of A campus. This will involve coordination with IT Services, functional campus offices, academic units, student support services, student affairs and other units that utilize the student information system. Dawson will also oversee common course numbering for the campus, which the U of A System is planning to adopt along with Workday Student.

He will also work closely with the U of A System Project One team and a Deloitte project manager assigned to the university. The implementation phase will span approximately four years and will cover the entire student lifecycle from initial enrollment to graduation.

“I am honored and excited to lead the campus in the Workday Student implementation project,” Dawson said. “Over the past 10 years I have been directly involved in managing the functional aspects of our current student information system, UAConnect, and I look forward to working with our campus team as we move to a new cloud-based solution. I understand the importance and complexity of this project and am eager to take on this challenge.”

The U of A System implemented two other Workday information systems in July of 2020, one for human resources and the other for financial management. Two-year colleges in the system are scheduled to begin going live in 2023 with the four-year universities to follow beginning in 2024.

“This is an important project for the campus and for the system,” said Charles Robinson, U of A provost and executive vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. “We are putting the team in place to ensure the transition to this new system is a smooth one, and Dave Dawson will be a key part of this team. We want this to be a tool that is user friendly and that can handle the complex operations of a major institutions like ours, both individually and in concert with the system.”

Dawson holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Centenary College of Louisiana and a master's degree in journalism and history from the U of A. He has received national advising awards and he received the Graduate School’s Collis R. Geren Award for Excellence in Graduate Education. He has also published repeatedly in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly and The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.

Prior to his role as registrar, Dawson served as the director of the Fulbright College Advising Center. Prior to that, he was an adviser for more than 17 years. 

Gunderman received both a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a Juris Doctor from the U of A. He has served as the executive director of the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment for 10 years and previously worked in the College of Engineering managing student records and the college’s commencement ceremony. 

Prior to that he worked in housing, academic enrichment and judicial affairs. He has extensive experience in data generation and interpretation, academic affairs and student success.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to continue working with Dave Dawson and to work more closely with the dedicated staff in and around the Registrar’s Office as well as Enrollment Services, particularly at a time when we will be focused on beginning the implementation of Workday Student,” Gunderman said. “I know our shared goal will be to make the transition as seamless as possible and to make the final product one that provides an improved experience for our students, faculty and staff.”

More information about Workday Student is currently available at workday.uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.